Summary In daylight and in clear weather, the fishing vessels NAVEGANTE and TERESAMARIA collided when both were returning to their home port of Wheatley, Ontario. One person suffered a minor injury, both vessels were lightly damaged but there was no pollution. Ce rapport est galement disponible en franais. Other Factual Information Particulars of the Vessels Both vessels were equipped with a full range of navigating instruments including radar and several workable VHF radio sets each. At approximately 0400[2] on 09 September 1997, both vessels departed their home port of Wheatley Harbour to fish. At 1200, both were returning at full speed towards Wheatley. The vessels were on converging courses, the NAVEGANTE was steering 010 (T) degrees at 11 knots and the TERESAMARIA was steering 000 (T) degrees at 10 knots. Both vessels were on automatic steering and were crossing the main shipping channel near S.E. Shoal. There was no other shipping traffic in the area at the time. Visibility was several miles and each vessel was visible from the other. The relative bearing between the vessels remained almost constant as the distance between them decreased. As the distance between the vessels diminished, neither vessel altered course or reduced speed. At 1230, when the vessels were within an estimated 15 - 25 m apart and nearly abeam of each other, the NAVEGANTE suddenly veered to starboard. About three to five seconds later her bow struck the port side of the TERESAMARIA, amidships, at an estimated angle of 45 degrees. After the collision the two vessels were briefly locked together and stopped in the water. TERESAMARIA The operator of the TERESAMARIA determined that his vessel was being slowly overtaken by the NAVEGANTE. As the NAVEGANTE was closing and a close quarters situation was developing, he unsuccessfully attempted to communicate with the NAVEGANTE by VHF radio. He did not attempt to draw the other vessel's attention to the developing situation by making the prescribed sound signal on the ship's whistle. As required by the Colregs, he kept his vessel to her original course and speed. However, as the other vessel approached to within 25 m, the operator of the TERESAMARIA did not take action to increase the distance between the two vessels or to avoid collision. The TERESAMARIA remained in automatic steering until after the NAVEGANTE swung off course and struck the TERESAMARIA on the port side amidships. As a result of the impact of the collision, a member of the crew was thrown to the deck and suffered a minor back injury. The bow of the NAVEGANTE struck the TERESAMARIA in way of a heavy A frame which absorbed most of the energy of the collision and minimized damage to the TERESAMARIA. After the vessels separated, the NAVEGANTE proceeded towards port. The TERESA MARIA reported the occurrence to the Ontario Provincial Police who relayed the occurrence information to the Ship Safety Branch of Transport Canada . The operator of the TERESAMARIA was uncertificated and was acting as master while the regular master was on vacation. He had been doing this for several weeks each year for the last 10 years. He had been working in the Lake Erie fishing trade for approximately 15 years and had a good command of the English language. NAVEGANTE When the vessels were proceeding close together on near parallel courses, it was observed from the TERESAMARIA that the operator of the NAVEGANTE' appeared to be pre-occupied with the instrumentation/controls on his control consol. Just prior to the impact the NAVEGANTE suddenly veered to starboard. The operator of the NAVEGANTE, however, indicated that he did not switch the steering from automatic to manual until after the collision. The NAVEGANTE made no whistle signal to indicate her intentions nor did she sound a signal to warn the crew of both vessels of the impending collision. The master of the NAVEGANTE, who had a good command of the English language, did not attempt to communicate by VHF radio with the other vessel when he arrived on the bridge after the collision. He did not ascertain the extent of the other vessel's damage or if it required assistance. The NAVEGANTE then continued her voyage to Wheatley, Ontario. The operator in the wheelhouse of the NAVEGANTE was new to this vessel, having been transferred to the NAVEGANTE from another vessel of the same company. After initial training given over two weeks, this was the first time that he had navigated the vessel alone without the assistance of the master, whom he had relieved for lunch. He did not respond to the VHF radio communications directed to his vessel from the TERESAMARIA. The operator has been engaged in the Lake Erie fishery for about eleven years. He maintained that he did not speak English or French and required a Portuguese translator when interviewed. In 1988 he was issued a Canadian Fishing Master Class IV Certificate. Two of the prerequisites to obtaining this certificate are: a fundamental understanding of the Rules of the Road (Colregs) and a Radio-telephone Operator's Restricted (Maritime) Certificate (RORC). A candidate for a RORC is required to demonstrate a working knowledge of either English or French. In its report on the 1991 capsizing of the fishing vessel FLYING FISHER (M91W1075), the Board expressed concern that inability of the operators to communicate in either of Canada's two languages compromises the safe navigation and operation of fishing vessels in Canadian waters. The Board further indicated that one possible measure to mitigate this is to require crews to demonstrate a minimum level of language proficiency before being issued radio certification and/or before being granted a fishing license. The Operators and Crews When both vessels sailed from Wheatley at 0400, the operators and crews reported that they were adequately rested. The operators who relieved the master for the return trip home had worked at various tasks, including setting and hauling nets, since sailing. They were given the duties of a watchkeeper, including being sole lookout (visual, radar and radio), and monitoring a variety of instrumentation for navigation and engine control. The operators of both vessels reported that they had a good understanding of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (Colregs). The owners rely upon on the masters of their vessels to find persons with a suitable level of competency and training to replace the regular master when he is on leave.